Innsbruck Austria

Strategically and beautifully situated on the Inn river, in the heart of the Alps, Innsbruck stands at a great European crossroads. The 19th century construction of the east west railroad through the Arlberg valley, in combination with the city's historic control of the north south trade route through the Brenner Pass, placed it firmly on the trans European map. Today, travelers from across Europe pass this way, and Innsbruck, with its excellent tourist facilities, is well worth more than a brief stop enroute.

Innsbruck has had a checkered past. By the 12th century a fortified town was growing up beside the bridge over the Inn River, near the site of an old Roman garrison. By the 1360s, when the Habsburgs had acquired the Tyrol region, the settlement had outgrown its original fortifying walls. Under Maximilian 1, Emperor of the Germans from 1507 to 1519, Innsbruck was the Habsburg Empire’s administrative and cultural center.

The next 200 years encompassed a golden age that continued through the reign of Empress Maria Theresa from 1717 to 1780. When Napoleon conquered the Tyrol in the 1790s Innsbruck became part of Bavaria, but was handed back to Austria in 1814. The city became part of Italy following World War I and suffered much damage during World War 11. But since then Innsbruck has prospered, and today it is a university city as well as a popular tourist destination.

The center of Innsbruck is small, and it's likely your hotel will be within easy walking distance of the historic Old Town (Altstadt), a pedestrianized maze of picturesque streets. Attractions outside the city are served both by regular local buses and special tourist shuttles that take you right to where the action is. It's worth buying the Innsbruck Card, which gives you free entry to many museums and other attractions, plus free use of public transportation and four mountain cable car systems, the latter otherwise very expensive. It's valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours and obtainable at the tourist office. Because of Innsbruck's compact size, nearly any two points lie within easy walking distance of each other, and public transportation, though available, is largely unnecessary. To reach the Altstadt from the main train station, turn right and walk until you reach Museumstr then turn left and walk about 10 min. Although Innsbruck is technically in Austria, traveling there from Munich, Germany, is much faster and more convenient.

5 Star Hotels

Europa Tyrol Hotel Innsbruck
Schloßhotel
Grand Hotel Europa

Cheap Hotels

Hotel-Pension Sonnenhof
Ibis Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof
Aparthotel Götzens
Heimgartl
Weisses Kreuz
City-Hotel Goldene Krone
Kapeller
Sailer
Austria Trend Hotel Congress
Römerhof
Central
Hotel Tyrolis Innsbruck
Weisses Kreuz Hotel Innsbruck
Hotel Tyrolis Innsbruck
Goldene Krone Hotel Innsbruck
Weisses Kreuz Hotel Innsbruck
Austrotel Innsbruck Hotel
Central Hotel Innsbruck
Sailer Hotel Innsbruck
Hotel Innsbruck
Hotel Innsbruck
Bon Alpina Hotel Innsbruck
Best Western Leipziger Hof Hotel Innsbruck
Alpinpark Hotel Innsbruck
Breinossl Hotel Innsbruck
Hotel Grauer Baer Innsbruck